Near Snow Hill in Worcester County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Mill Race and Overview
If you look below, you can see the depression remaining from the mill race and the start of the canal. In the 1840s, water from the 300-acre pond (now woodland) flowed through a gate in the dam (now Old Furnace Road) into the mill race. This water provided power for the water wheel and flowed into the canal and to the Nassawango creek.
In the 1840s, the Ironworkers could easily view the warehouse, Ironmaster's Mansion, and various town buildings from the top of the charging ramp. The 6,000 acres of land around the furnace were all used in the production of Iron, whether it was to harvest the raw bog ore, supply wood to the 25-acre town where the Ironworkers lived, or make charcoal needed to fuel the furnace. Today, the 6,000 acres are protected forest and swampland, home to a bustling ecosystem of plants and animals, and Furnace Town Historic Site.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 38° 12.254′ N, 75° 28.164′ W. Marker is near Snow Hill, Maryland, in
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Charging the Furnace (here, next to this marker); Nassawango Iron Furnace (here, next to this marker); Water Wheel (a few steps from this marker); Canal (a few steps from this marker); The Mill Race (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Nassawango Iron Furnace (within shouting distance of this marker); American chestnut (within shouting
Other markers no longer nearby. Mill Race and Overview (has been replaced with this marker); a different marker also named Charging the Furnace (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Hot Blast (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 46 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 19, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
